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OF PITTSBURGH, 

On the Public Opening of 


BAVIS ISLAND BAffl, 


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REPORTS 


TO THE 





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UPON THE OPENING OF 


DAVIS ISLAHD DAM, 
Together with Interesting Data, 


Pv’Cto^^j' 

Published by the Chamber of Commerce, 


Pittsburgh, Penn’a. 



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PITTSBURGH: 

Jos. Eichbaum & Co. Print, 48 Fifth Avenue. 

1886 . 




























]UN 27 1908 

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Pittsburgh, Pa., October 7th, 1885. 

Pursuant to appointment by Committee of Arrangements of the 
Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh, the published programme 
for the formal opening of the “ Davis Island Dam ” was carried 
out to-day in a manner highly creditable to the committee and 
the city. 

In accordance with the resolution offered by Mr. George II. 
Anderson, and adopted at a meeting of the Board on September 
7th, the following Committees of Arrangements were appointed: 


Coi7imittcc of Arrangements. 


Charles W. Batchelor, 
Gilbert Follansbee, 

John A. Wood, 

Samuel M. Wickersjiam, 
Joseph Walton, 

Andrew Fulton, 

Mayor of Pittsburgh. 

John E. Shaw, 

William Weihe, 

John N. Neeb, 

J. T. Stockdale, 

R. C. Gray, 

Gen. P. N. Guthrie, 

George J. 


Chairman. 

Secretary. 

GeorGe II. Anderson, 
Morrison Foster, 

B. McCracken, 

James G. Wyman, 

Mayor of Allegheny. 
A. F. Keating, 

D. C. Ripley, 

A. H. Euwer, 

George H. Browne, 
Isaac Cline, 

John Morrow, 

Luckey. 


Reception Committee. 

John H. Ricketson, Morrison Foster, 

George A. Berry, George A. Kelly, 

Gilbert Follansbee. 


John F. Drayo, 
Reuben Miller, 


4 


Committee on Invitatio?is. 


Morrison Foster, 


Gilbert Follansbee. 


Committee on Speakers. 
C. W. Batchelor, John A. Wood, 


Geo. H. Anderson. 


John Bindley, 


Committee on Finance. 

S. S. Marvin, John B. Jackson. 


D. C. Herbst, 


Committee on Refreshments. 

Samuel Hamilton, Joseph G. Siebeneck. 


The prompt, skillful and efficient manner in which the differ¬ 
ent committees performed the duties assigned to them has been 
fully attested by the brilliant success of the movement, shown not 
only by the large attendance of representative men from all 
branches of trade and commerce, but also, the very general ex¬ 
pression of delight and satisfaction on the part of all participating 
in the excursion. 

Captain Charles W. Batchelor, chairman of Committee of Ar¬ 
rangements, was also appointed Commodore of the fleet, and 
issued an order governing the movements of the boats, which was 
obeyed in all essential particulars. 

To the foresight and skillful management of Captain Batchelor, 
seconded by the officers of the different steamers taking part in 
this unprecedented marine pageant, is to be attributed largely its 
grand success, not alone in the avoidance of all accidents, but also 
in the comfort and pleasure afforded all their passengers. 

An admirable selection was made in naming the different com¬ 
mittees, and the members all seemed to vie with each other in 
active endeavors to make the event a notable one in the history of 
the city, in which they succeeded beyond the most sanguine ex¬ 
pectations of any. 


S. L. McHenry, 
Secretary. 


5 


REPORT 

OF THE 

COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS. 


To the President and Board of Directors 

, of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce. 

Gentlemen : 

On behalf of the Committee of Arrangements of the 
Davis Island Dam Celebration, October 7th, 1885, I beg leave to 
submit the following report: 

At the first meeting of the Committee, the following address 
to the citizens of Pittsburgh and Allegheny was adopted, and 
published in the newspapers: 

THE COMMITTEE’S ADDRESS. 

To the Citizens of Pittsburgh and Allegheny: 

The undersigned having been appointed by the Chamber of 
Commerce of Pittsburgh, a committee to make arrangements to 
celebrate the opening of the Davis Island Dam, hereby accept 
the appointment and enter upon the discharge of the duties as¬ 
signed them, and earnestly ask the co-operation of our citizens to 
make the celebration as imposing as that important event in the 
history of the two cities justifies and demands. 

It is scarcely necessary to call your attention to the importance 
of the building of that dam, and the great benefits that this com- 



6 


munity will derive from its use; yet, when we consider that the 
dam will give us during the whole year good navigable water 
around the cities, with river frontages of over twenty miles, 
where boats can land to discharge and receive freight direct at the 
wharves of manufacturers and others, too much cannot be said in 
its praise, nor can we help but be impressed with the fact that great 
benefits will be received by the entire people. 

It is the opinion of the committee that most of the day on 
which the celebration is to take place should be-given up to the 
occasion, that all who may wish to do so can take part in the 
grand jubilee. Therefore, we recommend that the Mayors of the 
two cities ask the people to suspend business between the hours of 
10 a. m. and 4 p. M. of that day. 

The committee has decided to have the demonstration on the 
river: first, because there is no wagon road to the dam ; and next, 
because, by having it on the water, the usefulness of the dam is 
made apparent to all. 

AN INVITATION TO ALL. 

An invitation is hereby extended to all to join us in celebrating 
the most important event (in a business way) that has ever occur¬ 
red on the waters of Western Pennsylvania. 

The day for the opening has not been fixed, but may probably 
take place the latter part of this, or the first of next month, of 
which due notice will be given as soon as the committee is informed. 

The Presidents of the Councils of Pittsburgh and Allegheny 
are hereby respectfully requested to call a meeting of those bodies 
at once, to take action towards making arrangements to partici¬ 
pate in the celebration. 

Any information required may be obtained by calling on or 
addressing 

C. W. Batchelor, 

Chairman of Committee. 

As there seemed to be some misunderstanding or oversight by 
the people, in reading the first notice, the following second notice 
was published: 


7 


Chamber of Commerce, 
Pittsburgh, Pa., September 22d, 1885. 

To the Citizens of Western Pennsylvania: 

The Committee of Arrangements for celebrating the open¬ 
ing of the Davis Island Dam, again desire to notify you that all 
are invited to participate in the demonstration. 

This second notice is in consequence of some not having seen, 
or misconstrued the first notice, wherein all were invited to join 
the committee to. help make the celebration as imposing as that 
important event in the history of the State demands. 

Any individual, firm, corporation, association or body of people 
have the privilege to take a boat and join in the line, and go to 
the dam and back, by direction of, and to be governed by the 
rules of the commanding officer. 

All who intend to do so, are requested to report to the com¬ 
mittee as soon as possible, and not later than October 2d. 

By order of the Committee, 

C. W. Batchelor, 

Chairman. 

At the request of some of the owners of towboats, the follow¬ 
ing letter was addressed to Hon. Americus Warden, Supervising 
Inspector of Steamboats, and the following answers received: 

Pittsburgh, Pa., September 12th, 1885. 

Hon. Americus Warden, 

Supervising Inspector, Seventh District , Cincinnati , Ohio. 

Dear Sir: On the 7th of October, prox., a formal opening of 
the Davis Island Dam will take place, under the direction of a 
committee of the Chamber of Commerce, when it is proposed to 
have a grand demonstration on the river. 

Some of our coal men propose to take part in the jubilee by 
boat. There is an obstacle in the way of a towboat taking part 
in the parade, as they would like to do: they-want to have a few 
guests on the boat, and fhe question arises, as to whether they can 
do so, without coming in contact with the law as to passenger 
boats. It will be a great drawback to the towboats, if they are 


8 


not allowed to have their guests with them, and have requested 
me to communicate with and ask you to get from the Secretary of 
the Treasury authority for the local inspectors here to grant the 
privilege to the captain of any towboat, who may wish to do so, 
to take his guests on board of his boat on the day named. 

There will be no abuse of the privilege, if granted, and no 
pay passengers taken. It will be a social assembly of each boat’s 
officers and their friends, and none others. 

From your knowledge of our coal men, and the boats, I feel 
confident that you will see no objection to granting the privilege 
asked for, and will recommend the Secretary to grant it. 

If I have not stated the case as you think I ought to have 
done, please let me hear from you before communicating with the 
Department. 

Your friends here feel that you will do what you can to assist 
us in the matter. 

Please let us hear from you at as early a moment as possible, 
and much oblige 

Yours, 

C. W. Batchelor, 

Chairman of Committee. 

Office of U. S. Supervising Inspectors of Steam Vessels, 
Cincinnati, Ohio, September 19th, 1885. 

Messrs. Neeld and Atkinson, 

Local Inspectors of Steam Vessels , Pittsburgh , Pa. 

Gentlemen : Some days since I received communications 
from Chas. W. Batchelor, chairman of committee of the Chamber 
of Commerce of your city, requesting me to obtain permission 
from the Department to authorize your board to grant the privi¬ 
lege to various towing steamers of your city and vicinity, desiring 
to do so, to carry invited guests, as passengers, on board such 
vessels, on October 7th next, the day of the opening of the Davis 
Island Dam, when a grand demonstration is proposed. I for¬ 
warded such letter to the Honorable Secretary of the Treasury 
on the 12th inst., and to-day received a reply (a copy of which is 
herewith enclosed), from which you will please make another 


9 


copy and deliver to Mr. Batchelor, retaining: the copy forwarded 
to yourselves. In the event that any of the owners of such 
vessels conclude to avail themselves of such privilege as stated 
in the enclosed Department letter, and in accordance with Depart¬ 
ment Circular 115 referred to, you will please see that all lawful 
requirements are provided; additional hose and pumps will be 
required, as also cork life preservers, floats, metallic life boats, 
buckets, barrels and axes, in conformity with tonnage as passenger 
steamers will be necessary; in short, they will be required to have 
the outfit as demanded by law and rules for passenger steamers. 

Enclosed herewith find one copy of Department Circular 115. 

Yours respectfully, 

Americus Warden, 
Supervising Inspector , Seventh District. 

Treasury Department, Office of the Secretary, 
Washington, D. C., September 16th, 1885. 

Americus Warden, Esq., 

Supervising Inspector , Seventh District , Cincinnati , Ohio. 

Sir : The Department is in receipt, by endorsement, of a let¬ 
ter dated the 12th inst., addressed to yourself, by the chairman of 
a committee of the Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh, Pa., re¬ 
questing you to obtain Department authority to enable the local 
inspectors at Pittsburgh to grant the privilege to the owners of 
towboats, who may wish to do so, to carry passengers (invited 
guests) on board of such towboats on October 7th, proximo, the 
day of the opening of the Davis Island Dam, when it is pro¬ 
posed to have a grand demonstration on the river. 

In reply, you are informed there is no authority in the Depart¬ 
ment to grant the privilege asked for. The local inspectors, 
however, have the authority under the provisions of Department 
Circular No. 115, Series of 1877 (copy herewith), to change the 
character of any steamer, even for a single day, upon compliance 
with the provisions of said circular. 

Very respectfully, 

Chas. E. Coon, 

b Assistant Secretary. 


10 


By action of committee, the undersigned was made commander 
of the fleet, and assumed charge by issuing the following order : 

Celebration of the Opening to Public use of the 
Davis Island Dam. 

Pittsburgh, Pa., October 7th, 1885. 

Captains of Steamers and others participating in the Celebration will 
please obsei've the following: 

At 10.30 A. m., city time, a gun will be fired at the foot of 
Wood street, to get ready. At 11 A. M. the second gun will be 
fired, when the flag-ship will move out into the channel; the 
other boats will immediately follow in the order named, and take 
position one hundred yards to the rear of the flag-ship and to 
each other, to wit: 

The flag-ship Geneva , with Chamber of Commerce and invited 
guests, first. 

Steamer Adam Jacobs , with Councils of Pittsburgh and Alle¬ 
gheny, and steamer C. W. Batchelor , with the Petroleum Ex¬ 
change, lashed together, second. 

Steamer Scotia , with Grain Exchange, and steamer Elizabeth , 
with Furniture Exchange, lashed together, next. 

Towboats to go single, double, or in threes, as they may elect; 
but in order to handle them without delay, I would suggest and 
request that two or three be lashed together. 

Excursion boats will follow the towboats, and land above the 
guard wall at the dam. Great care must be taken to avoid 
accidents. 

Should any of the steamers be detained in getting into posi¬ 
tion, the flag-ship will stop her engines and wait a reasonable 
time, until all are in line. If anything occurs to render a steamer 
unable to proceed, she will give one long whistle and lower her 
flag, when the nearest steamer will go to her assistance, and if the 
disabled steamer can proceed with the assistance she will do so. 
The steamers will follow in the above order to the dam. 

One whistle, or gun, or the lowering of the flag on the flag-ship, 
will mean all to stop; two whistles, or guns, or the hoisting of 


11 


the hag, will mean to come ahead; three whistles, or guns, to 
back. Each steamer will have a signal flag and a competent man 
to handle it, and, in turn, will repeat the signals from the flag¬ 
ship. 

Arriving at the dam, the following steamers will go into the 
lock, stern first, and in the order named: Scotia and Elizabeth 
together, first; the Adam Jacobs and Batchelor next, and the 
flag-ship Geneva last, head foremost. The boats are placed in 
the lock in the above order to bring the bows of three boats to¬ 
gether, where the speaking will take place. The other boats will 
land or lie at anchor, as may suit their convenience. All boats 
will be careful to keep above the buoys, placed fifty yards above 
the dam, and away from the head of the lock. After the boats 
are in the lock, the lock will be emptied and filled, to show the 
working of the machinery. After witnessing the working of the 
lock, a meeting will be held from the deck of the flag-ship. 

When the meeting adjourns a gun will be fired from the flag¬ 
ship to get ready to return to the city. Twenty minutes later the 
second gun will be fired, when the boats will move out of the 
lock and proceed up the river in the same order they went down. 
If the dam is full, in order that its usefulness may be more ap¬ 
parent, the boats will pass up to the right, or south side of Bru- 
not’s island. When the flag-ship arrives at the head of Brunot’s 
island, she will stop her engines, and allow the Adam Jacobs and 
C. W. Batchelor to come up on the left, and the steamers Scotia 
and Elizabeth on the right side of the flag-ship, and all be lashed 
together. They will proceed up the river in that position until 
they arrive opposite to Wood street, where they are dismissed. 
The towboats are at liberty to return single or double, as they may 
elect. No attempts at speed or passing each other will be in¬ 
dulged in. 

Please preserve this for reference. 

C. W. Batchelor, 

Commander of Fleet. 




12 


Position of the Boats in Line. 

The Geneva, flag-ship, C. W. Batchelor, Commander, with Chamber of 
Commerce on board. 

The C. W. Batchelor, carrying the Petroleum Exchange, lashed to the Adam 
Jacobs, carrying the Councils of Pittsburgh and Allegheny. 

The Onward. 

The Robert Jenkins, carrying the Pittsburgh Press Club. 

The Reserve. 

The Scotia, carrying the Grain Exchange, lashed to the Elizabeth, carrying the 
Pittsburgh and Allegheny Furniture Exchange. 

The Bell McGowan, lashed to the Eagle. 

The Joseph Walton, carrying the Ohio River Commission, lashed to the I. N. 
Bunion, No. 2, and the John T. Case. 

The Little Fred and the Little Dick, lashed together. 

The Jim Wood and the S. L. Wood, lashed together. 

The Ella and the B. D. Wood, lashed together. 

The Lulu Wood and the Advance, lashed together. 

The John Dippold. 

The Tom Lysle and the Frank Gilmore, lashed together. 

The Seven Sons and the Tide, lashed together. 

The Little Bill and the Two Brothers, lashed together. 

The Nellie Spear. 

The Chas. Brown and the Jim Brown, lashed together. 

The James G. Blaine, with excursionists. 

The Chesapeake, with excursionists. 

The Glenwood. 

The Twilight, with two barges. 

The Hunter, No. 2. 

The Stella McClosky. 

The Venus and Venice. 

At the request of Captain Joseph Walton, the Ohio River 
Commission, on board the steamer Joseph Walton , was assigned 
position in the line of boats, by the following special order: 

Davis Island Dam Celebration, 

„ . _ _ _ Pittsburgh, Pa., October 7th, 1885. 

ISpecial Orders. 

The steamer Joseph Walton , with the Ohio River Commission 
on board, will take position in the line next to the steamers 


13 


Scotia and Elizabeth , and land at the upper end of the guide wall 
at the dam. 

The steamer Jenkins, with Press Club and reporters on board, 
is hereby authorized to land its passengers at the guide wall, 
above the steamer Joseph Walton. 

C. W. Batchelor, 

Commander of Fleet. 

It is gratifying to be able to report that the arrangements for 
the day, as published, were literally carried out, and the boats, 
with their valuable cargoes, brought safely back to the city; and 
not an accident of the slightest kind occurred, to cause an in¬ 
jury to persons or property; not even an incident or excitement, 
to cause a panic or scare of any character. 

I believe I speak the sentiments of the committee, and without 
any fear of being contradicted, when I say that our city can boast 
of having presented the grandest civic display that has ever been 
seen on any water of the United States. 

Captain A. E. Hunt, of Battery “ B,” National Guard of Penn¬ 
sylvania, having tendered the use of his guns for the celebration, 
the following letter was addressed to him : 

Pittsburgh, Pa., October S E th y 1885. 

Capt. A. E. Hunt, 

Battery “B.” 

Dear Sir: As you were kind enough to tender the use of 
your guns for the Davis Island Dam Celebration, October 7th 
inst., I here accept and thank you for the same. You will have 
one gun placed on the wharf, at the foot of Wood street, with in¬ 
structions to the officer in charge to fire one gun at ten-thirty 
(10.30) a.m., city time, and one gun at eleven (11) A. M., city time; 
when the boats get in line and move down the river, to continue 
to fire until they all pass the Point bridge. After the “ second 
gun,” do not fire any more until the boats are under way. When 
the boats come in sight on their return, to begin to fire, and con¬ 
tinue until they arrive at Wood street. 

Yours truly, 

Chas. W. Batchelor, 

Commander of Fleet. 


14 


While we, in common with the entire people, regret the terrible 
accident that was caused by the premature discharge of a gun, 
yet your committee are in no way responsible, as the two guns 
ordered to be fired were fired before the flag-ship left the wharf, 
and the accident occurred after she was gone, and before the other 
boats had left the wharf, and with the fourth gun. 

The arrangements for the meeting at the dam were complied 
with, and the programme, as agreed on by your committee, carried 
out, as follows: 

The people were called to order by your humble servant, in the 
following words : 

Ladies and Gentlemen : I am gratified to be able to an¬ 
nounce that thus far everything connected with the day’s celebra¬ 
tion has passed off to the entire satisfaction of the Committee of 
Arrangements, and we sincerely hope, the entire satisfaction of 
all concerned. It becomes my duty to announce that in conse¬ 
quence of a break of a pump, the engineer in charge is in doubt 
as to whether he has enough water to handle the gate twice; 
therefore, we must be content with what we have seen of the 
working of the machinery. Yet it is right and proper that we 
should halt in the midst of our jolification, and here on this in¬ 
teresting and appropriate spot, organize a meeting for the purpose 
of giving expression to our feelings of admiration and approval 
of this great work built by the Government, and now about to be 
dedicated to the free use and benefit of our people. With that 
object in view, and for that purpose, we will now organize a 
meeting by calling to the chair a gentleman who has been a firm 
friend and advocate of the Davis Island Dam improvement. I 
refer to the Hon. Thomas M. Bayne, member of ^Congress from 
the district in which the dam is located. I now have the honor, 
and take pleasure in introducing Hon, Thos. M. Bayne as chair¬ 
man of this meeting. 

Hon. Thos. M. Bayne, in taking the chair, made a few appro¬ 
priate remarks, which were not published. 

After prayer by Kev. B. F. Woodburn, Hon. Morrison Foster 


15 


was introduced, and read a number of letters from invited guests, 
as follows : His Excellency, the President of the United States; 
Hon. Samuel J. Randall, Chairman House Committee on Appro¬ 
priations ; Hon. Albert S. Willis, Chairman House Committee on 
Rivers and Harbors; Hon. M. R. Waite, Chief Justice of the 
United States. Gen. Johu Newton, Chief of Engineers; John 
Welsh, President Philadelphia Board of Trade; Hon. Samuel F. 
Miller, U. S. Supreme Court, of Pennsylvania; Maj. Gen. H. G. 
Wright, U. S. A.; Capt. Thomas Turtle, U. S. A.; Lieut. Col. 
Wm. P. Craighill, U. S. A.; Hon. John Trunkey, Supreme Court 
of Pennsylvania; Hon. John A. Shank, President Ohio River 
Com.; Hon. S. J. R. McMillan, U. S. Senate; His Excellency, Gov. 
Pattison ; His Excellency, Gov. Hoadley, of Ohio; His Excellency, 
Gov. Knott, of Kentucky; His Excellency, Gov. O’Neal, of Ala¬ 
bama; His Excellency, Gov. Hill, of New York; His Ex¬ 
cellency, Gov. Oglesby, of Illinois ; His Excellency, Gov. Wilson, 
of West Virginia; Hon. Wm. C. Endicott, Secretary of War; 
Hon. Wm. McKennan, U. S. District Court; Hon. Nelson W. 
Aldrich, U. S. Senate Com. on Transportation; Hon.W. B. Allison, 
U. S. Senate Com. on Appropriations; Hon. Stanley Matthews, 
U. S. Supreme Court; Hon. W. B. Wood, U. S. Supreme Court; 
Hon. Americus Warden, U. S. Supervising Inspector, Seventh 
District; Hon. Daniel Manning, Secretary of the Treasury; The 
President of the Baltimore Board of Trade; Hon. Robert W. 
Park, ex-Mayor of Allegheny; Hon. Phil. J. Schopp, Supt. 
Louisville and Portland Canal; Gen. John G. Park, U. S. A.; 
Lieut. W. M. Black, U. S. A.; L. M. Petididier, U. S. Engineers ; 
Wm. Weston, U. S. Engineers ; Hon. B. C. Sawyer, ex-Mayor 
of Pittsburgh; Hon. Jas. B. Larkin, Postmaster at Pittsburgh, 
and many others. 

Hon. Daniel Agnew, the orator of the day, was then intro¬ 
duced, and delivered the following address : 

Fellow Citizens: I feel highly honored in being chosen 
to address you, yet 'there are business men among you better 
qualified to speak upon this interesting occasion. The great work, 
the completion of which you have assembled to commemorate, is 


16 


far reaching in its consequences. If as successful, as it now 
seems fair and hopeful, its benefits will extend beyond the terri¬ 
tory and people it now touches, and reach far into the future, and 
into the most distant parts. 

I cannot spend time in a sketch of the past theories for the 
improvement of the Ohio. The dam before us has-been built 
upon the French system, known as the Chanoine, from the name 
of the inventor, and in use on the Seine, Marne, Meuse and other 
French rivers. It has been tried also in this country upon the 
great Kanawha, with apparent success. The success of the sys¬ 
tem, is therefore, not a mere theoretical venture, existing only in 
the sanguine hopes of visionary minds. Approved by highly 
scientific men, and resting on a basis of experiment, much may be 
expected of it. 

Yet it is proper to say it has been doubted, and perhaps is now, 
by a class of navigators of the Ohio, accustomed to handle 
immense fleets, in the transportation of coal and coke. Still it is 
believed, that when its advantages and disadvantages have been 
tested and compared, it will be found that the former will pre¬ 
dominate; and even the disadvantages, if any, will be overcome 
by expedients yet untried. Already a new invention, to be 
referred to, has extended the utility of the dam. Certainly it is 
better to hope for the best, until time and trial have revealed the 
true result. 

Attention was first called to movable dams by General G. Weit- 
zel and Colonel William E. Merrill, in a report to General A. A. 
Humphreys, Chief of Engineers, dated January 31, 1874. The 
application of the Chanoine system to the Davis Island Dam was 
made chiefly upon the recommendation of Colonel William E. 
Merrill, of the United States Engineers. He had been in charge 
of the improvement of the Ohio river. In April, 1874, General 
G. Weitzel and he were appointed a board to examine and report 
upon a plan of your townsman, Mr. Felix R. Brunot, for the 
improvement of the navigation of the Ohio. This led to’ a 
thorough investigation, resulting in the report of Colonel Merrill, 
September 1, 1874, of his conclusion that the best mode of im¬ 
provement of the river, or at least its upper portion, would be by 
the system favored in France, known as that of Mr. Chanoine. 


17 


THE FIRST STEP. 

Congress, by the Act of 3d March, 1875, appropriated to the 
improvement of the Ohio, $300,000, of which $100,000 were to 
begin this work; and a board of engineers, consisting of Generals 
Wright, Weitzel and Poe, and Colonel Merrill, was appointed to 
select a site. They selected and reported this at Davis Island. 

Owing to the procrastination of Pennsylvania to pass the neces¬ 
sary law to confer jurisdiction over the site upon the United 
States, the work was not begun until August 19, 1878. Various 
delays occurred, owing to the failure of Congress to make timely 
appropriations, the law forbidding the United States officers to 
make contracts in advance of the appropriations. 

The delay was fortunate, as it enabled Colonel Merrill to adopt 
a valuable invention of Mr. Alfred Pasqueau, a French engineer. 
In the original Chanoine system, a tripper was used to let down 
the wickets, which answered for short spans only. These tripper 
bars were dispensed with by the use of a hurter block, invented 
by Mr. Pasqueau, which can be applied to spans of great length; 
thus reducing the number of piers, and diminishing the danger 
of navigation, especially of large coal fleets. The change was 
made upon a report of a board of engineers, appointed at the 
suggestion of Colonel Merrill, to consider certain modifications, 
in the plan of the Davis Island Dam. The board consisted of 
Colonel Craighead, who was in charge of the Kanawha improve¬ 
ment, General Weitzel, Colonel Merrill, and Lieutenants Turtle 
and Mahan. The view of the board being concurred in, the 
change was formerly authorized by the chief engineer, March 25, 
1881; and a contract made May 24, 1881, for 141 cast iron 
Pasqueau hurters. 

The dam was so far completed in the summer of 18§4 that it 
was temporarily raised and continued up for five weeks with a sat¬ 
isfactory result. At the close of 1884 the total expenditures had 
been $828,252.85, and it was expected that the total cost would be 
less than $1,000,000. This includes gates, lock and shore works. 
The cost of the dam proper will be about $750,000, or $437 per 
foot lineal, 
c 


18 


DESCRIBING THE DAM. 

The following description of the dam I take from a report of 
Lewis M. Haupt, Esq., to the Engineers’ Club of Philadelphia. 
Much of it I had also from Captain Mahan by letter in 1882. 
Says Mr. Haupt: “The elements of a barrage mobile, or movable 
dam, are a wicket, a horse, a prop and devices for maneuvering 
them. The wicket is merely a strong rectangular shield, or 
panel, of variable dimensions, hinged to an axis placed at a 
height of one-third the length of the wicket from the bottom of 
the wier and of seven-twelfths for the passes. The part of the 
wicket below this axis is called the breech; that above, the chase. 
To the same axle is hinged the head of an iron frame, called the 
horse, the feet of which are hinged to the floor of the pass, just 
behind the, sill so that when the wicket is raised, its place will 
be inclined down stream at an angle of 20 degrees, while the 
horse will be inclined up stream at an angle of five degrees from 
the vertical. The prop makes an angle with the horizon of 37 
degrees. It is hinged at its upper end to the axle of oscillation 
of the wicket, and at the foot of it is supported by a cast iron 
block called a hurter, which is rigidly bolted to the dam.” 

I have quoted this description because of its clearness. 

The work upon this dam has been under the careful super¬ 
vision of officers of the United States army; a class of gentlemen, 
whose special education, in civil and military engineering, gives 
them a proud pre-eminence in devising and executing such work. 
In this work, Captain Mahan was the chief assistant of Colonel 
Merrill. All the officers named deserve special mention, and a 
record of their skill and services in connection with a work so 
novel and important. It is to be hoped also that a prosperous 
future will crown their efforts with a success so well merited. 

In erecting this dam the following dimensions were adopted: 

ITS DIMENSIONS. 

Lock chamber, 600 by 110 feet clear. 

Navigable pass (sill on river bed), 559 feet. 

Weir No. 1 (sill 1 foot above bed), 224 feet. 

Weir No. 2 (sill 2 feet above bed), 224 feet. 

Weir No. 3 (sill 3 feet above bed), 216 feet. 


19 


Length of main channel, 1,223 feet, and piers included, 1,260 


feet. 

Number of wickets in navigable pass.139 

Number in weir No. 1. 56 

Number in weir No. 2. 56 

Number in weir No. 3. 54 

Total.305 


In navigable pass, each wicket 12 feet and 1J inches long by 3 
feet 9-inches wide. 

In weir No. 1, each wicket is 11 feet If inches long by 3 feet 9 
inches wide. 

In weir No. 2, each 10 feet If inches long by 3 feet 9 inches 
wide. 

In weir No. 3, each 9 feet If inches long by 3 feet 9 inches 
wide. 

The wickets are spaced 4 feet apart between centers, leaving 3 
inches clearance. 

On the back channel is a permanent dam 456 feet long. 

The dam is located about five or six miles below the “ Point/’ 
or confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, at the 
foot of Davis and just above the head of Long or Neville’s 
Island. The fall of the Ohio from the foot of Market street to 
the dam is 6 feet. The height of the dam, from sill to crest, is 
12 feet; lock length 600 feet; width 110. It will pass at once 
from 10 to 12 barges, 2 flats and the towboat. The back water 
extends to dam No. 1 of the Monongahela Navigation Company, 
on that river, and to Garrison ripple, on the Allegheny river, 
nearly opposite the United States Arsenal. The depth of the 
pool opposite the City of Pittsburgh is 7 feet. The surface 
measurement of the pool, from the dam upward, is 1 square mile 
and 62-100, or 1 mile and 1-5. The pool touches both cities, 
South Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Sawmill Run, or Temper- 
anceville. The surface capacity of the pool furnishes a haven for 
12,000 boats of all classes, or 6,000, allowing for free movement. 
The foregoing measurements were furnished by Captain Mahan. 







20 


THE LEADING ASPECTS. 

The work before us presents two leading aspects—one local, as 
a harbor of great size and capacity, and of constant depth, in 
which the immense tonnage of the two cities and Western Penn¬ 
sylvania shall lie safely moored until its proper time of removal 
through this structure on its way downward to gladden the hearts 
and benefit the homes of countless thousands. 

The second aspect is more general and of vast utility, as a part 
of a great system of waterways, which shall give every portion of 
the immense region it supplies a grand avenue of commerce, ex¬ 
tending to the uttermost parts of the West, North and South, and 
to foreign lands—a great highway between all the States and Ter¬ 
ritories, which shall bind together all parts of our common 
country. 

As a local improvement—a harbor for the tonnage of your two 
great rivers and the beautiful stream they supply—it increases in 
importance and utility the more we pause to contemplate its extent 
and varied uses. 

The first thing which attracts attention is the number of boats 
in actual use whose proper haven will be in the pool of this dam. 

There are 163 passenger and towboats of 32,914.07 tons; 60 
model barges of 24,600.10 tons; 2,000 barges for coal and coke; 
1,200 coal and coke boats, and 900 coal and coke flats, aggrega¬ 
ting 1,648,000.00 tons; total, 4,323 vessels, and 1,705,514.07 
tons; capital invested, $9,740,000; employees, 3,500, and value of 
work done, $2,600,000 per annum. 

These boats, capital and products awaiting a rise of water to 
carry them off, hitherto lay exposed to the low water and sand 
bars of summer, and the ice and floods of winter, the summer 
channel often giving less than two feet of water in depth. An¬ 
chorage has been difficult and scarce, often purchased at high 
prices, and exposed to frequent accidents and breaking loose of 
boats. An illustration of this danger will be found in the case of 
Stone vs. Me Grew, reported in 53 Pennsylvania Rep. 436. 

The harborage below dam No. 1 of the Monongahela Naviga¬ 
tion Company has been wholly deficient, compelling boats laden 


21 


with coal and heavy articles to lie in the pools of the company 
above. When the floods came, the insufficient lockage of the com¬ 
pany has caused detention until the rise has passed, and also seri¬ 
ous losses. An illustration of this danger will be seen in the case 
of Scott vs. Hunter, 46 Pennsylvania, 192. 

WILL WORK GREAT CHANGES. 

The Davis Island Dam and harbor will change all this, and 
will enable all boats in the company’s pools to lock down 
gradually and lie at safe anchorage until the waters rise; and will 
hasten the making up of fleets in time to seize advantage of the 
flow, while the capacious lockage of this dam will pass a whole 
fleet at once. 

A practical advantage of the slackwater of the harbor will be 
found in the mastery of the swift current of the Allegheny, when 
its strong flow would otherwise overcome the weak Monongahela. 
I have seen the Monongahela run up stream, carrying its ice above 
the old bridge when backed up by the Allegheny. 

This advantage will be seen also in landing the rafts descending 
the Allegheny, an operation difficult in the natural current, and 
overcome only by skill in arresting the momentum of millions of 
feet of lumber driven by the furious flood, preventing by skill, 
only, the snapping of strong cables. 

A still higher estimate of the importance of this labor will be 
discovered in the enormous money value of the tonnage resting 
on its bosom. The sum of the imports of the whole United 
States, as stated by the Bureau of Statistics, November 30th, 1881, 
was $660,243,050, while the value of the incomplete business of 
Pittsburgh was $164,156,166, or more than one-sixth of the entire 
imports of the Union. The incomplete tonnage of this business 
was 12,162,698, the capital invested $80,164,300, and the men 
employed 68,145. 

Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore have no in¬ 
terior waterways to the West, like the Ohio, Mississippi and 
Missouri, upon which a tonnage so immense can be transported. 
A moment’s reflection tells us that this enormous business, the 
original or domestic tonnage of the head of the Ohio, far exceeds 



22 


the original or domestic tonnage of any, indeed of all these cities. 
A few of the items of the original business of Pittsburgh and 
Allegheny will illustrate this statement. 

For example, in Allegheny county, 17 furnace stacks gave an 
output of 487,000 tons of iron. Outside, in Western Pennsyl¬ 
vania, the output was 350,870 tons. In Allegheny county, 31 
rolling mills gave 366,091 tons of rails, bar, angle, bolt, rod 
and hoop iron. Western Pennsylvania produced 29,295 tons ; and 
of plate and sheet iron, 20,145 tons; and 230,880 kegs of nails, 
or 11,541 tons. 

In Allegheny county 20 steel works gave a total of 328,261 
tons, including crucible steel, ingots and Bessemer. The remainder 
of Western Pennsylvania produced 605 tons crucible, and of all 
other steel 211,392 tons. The statistics of the iron and steel busi¬ 
ness of all kinds is wonderful, viz.: Capital, $61,342,000; hands 
employed, 50,270, and annual product, $1.01,991,000. 

IMMENSE RIVER TRAFFIC. 

In 1884 the output of coal of the four counties bordering on 
the Monongahela, viz.: Allegheny, Washington, Fayette and 
Westmoreland, was 13,000,000 tons, being 54 per cent, of all the 
coal mined in Pennsylvania, and 20 per cent, of all in the United 
States. 

Of this enormous production about one-third was converted 
into coke in nearly 12,000 ovens. 

Over 1,600,000 tons were shipped eastward for gas, and 4,400- 
GOO tons were shipped down the Ohio. The increase from 1870 
until 1884 was nearly 300 per cent. About 18,000 men are em¬ 
ployed in the mines, and about 6,000 in coking. The capital in¬ 
vested in mining is about $16,000,000, and the annual product is 
estimated at $13,000,000. The capital in coking is about $13,- 
000,000. 

Glass fills a high place among the home products. Capital in¬ 
vested, $6,470,000; hands employed, 6,700. Annual product, 
$7,500,000. Included in this enormous industry are 42,500,000 
lamp chimneys and 85,000,000 bottles and vials. 

White lead claims an investment of $1,500,000, using over 


23 


10,000 tons of lead, and producing nearly $2,000,000 annually. 

Besides these leading articles are numerous others requiring too 
much space to detail. I mention only a few—locomotives, several 
hundred; 2,000 iron oil tanks, engines, &c., capital, $6,800,000; 
product, $8,530,000; axes, shovels, tools, &c., capital, $1,800,000; 
product, $2,540,000; hardware, hinges, butts, $1,420,000; pro¬ 
duct, $2,230,000. Brass foundries consume 500 tons of copper, 
400 tons of scrap brass, 200 tons lead and 100 tons tin. 

Without particularizing, a grand summary gives 3,583 establish¬ 
ments, 101,000 employees, capital, $132,478,000, and annual pro¬ 
duction, $181,014,000. 

These statistics have been gathered from time to time, with 
great labor, by the Chamber of Commerce, and collected in large 
detail in publications from which I have extracted them. 

When we consider the aggregate of these products, we discover 
how inadequate the railway system of these cities is to carry it 
away, and how important the water system, which is aided and 
protected by this dam and harbor. And yet these cities are not 
without a noble railway system—the Pennsylvania Railroad, the 
Baltimore and Ohio, the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago, 
the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis, the Allegheny Valley, 
the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie, the Pittsburgh and Youghiogheny, 
the West. Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh and Western, the Cleve¬ 
land and Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh and Erie, and some 
smaller railways. 

RICH IN EVERYTHING. 

What a grand collection of mines, manufactures, arts, agricul¬ 
ture, railways and people concenter here ! How varied the indus¬ 
tries, products, local interests, wealth and all that makes up the 
grand total which seeks an outlet through this improvement. 
This is illustrated again by the grand totals of the business of 
Pittsburgh, exclusive of agriculture, viz.: Capital, $211,472,000; 
employees, 140,533, and products and savings, $343,961,000. 

So much we may affirm of the local aspect of this improve¬ 
ment. 

But a grander is the second—its general and vast utility as a 


24 


part of a great river system of improvements which shall touch 
an expanse of territory almost continental, and shall bind together 
the most distant parts of the Union in the bonds of mutual in¬ 
terests and friendship, insuring to the nation an immortal destiny. 
To understand and appreciate fully this great thought, let me array 
together the principal streams of the vast territory receiving sup¬ 
plies from the head of the Ohio. 

Beginning with the Monongahela and Allegheny above, and 
descending, we pass five leading streams in the State of Ohio, four 
in West Virginia, five in Kentucky, two of which, the Cumber¬ 
land and Tennessee, belong also to the State of Tennessee, four in 
Indiana, three in Illinois, and, striking the Mississippi and de¬ 
scending, we pass three in the State of Mississippi, four in Arkan¬ 
sas, and five in Louisiana, then, passing out of the many-mouthed 
Father of Waters into the Gulf, we coast around Texas, Mississippi, 
Alabama, Georgia and Florida, thence looking into the West Indies, 
we stretch far away into South America. Then, ascending the 
Mississippi from Cairo, we pass three leading rivers in Illinois on 
the right, and six in Missouri on the left. Still ascending, we 
reach the States of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and their 
innumerable rivers and lakes, and thence look out upon British 
America. Now, returning to the mouth of the Missouri, prob¬ 
ably the longest navigable river in the world, we reach a network 
of great streams and a territory larger than the greater part of 
Europe. In this grand voyage over thousands of miles of the 
waterways of the West, North and South, we have visited twenty- 
one States and four Territories, and cast wistful eyes upon many 
foreign lands. 

Thus this great harbor, like the human heart pours through the 
Ohio, its aorta, the life-blood of a trade so vast, so distant, so 
ramified, that, like the arteries and veins of the human system, it 
carries its life-giving wealth far into the broad expanse of States 
and Territories, and even to other climes. The minuteness and 
immensity of this trade would turn the head of the greatest statis¬ 
tician to calculate its total. It is computed that these great water¬ 
ways drain the valleys of 20,000 square miles; and a steamboat 
may run from Pittsburgh to a point 4,000 miles distant up the 
Missouri. 


25 


THE COUNTRY^ HIGHWAYS. 

I lie natural highways of a country are its great rivers, lakes 
and bays, and all these are the gift of Almighty God, so far tran¬ 
scending the highways of art, that imagination stands spell-bound 
in the immeasurable view. Traversing our great domain in every 
direction, and leading to the doors of all our people, they carry 
to them the growth of every climate, the manufactures of every 
trade, the productions of all arts and the labor of every citizen. 

Then consider their character. They take no taint of dictation 
from boards of directors, no corruptions from combinations, no 
discrimination, no favoritism, no rebates or drawbacks. They 
claim no rewards, assist no robbery of stockholders, plan no inside 
agencies, no special lines to feed upon the vitals of corporations 
and enrich officials with ill-gotten millions, but free as the air of 
heaven and the flow of their own water, like a just and generous 
monarch, they reward all alike, and confer equal benefits on all. 

How grand is this freedom from watered stock, bloated bonds, 
oligarchal control, arbitrary regulation, and insolent officialism !— 
a freedom from all those injuries which a burdened public suffers 
at the hands of gambling capital, corruption and contumely ! The 
justice of kind heaven treats all alike, rich and poor, and its rains 
visit all with equal flow. 

Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean to depreciate our 
artificial highways. The great railway system of the United 
States is a grand one—a great benefactor and civilizer—a bond of 
steel binding together a great people and vast interests. Without 
them and the telegraph, we might now be dependent on treaties 
for our commerce below, and pay tribute to another government 
to enter its ports; 6,000,000 of slaves would yet labor unrewarded 
for their toil; and Southern ports would receive the trade of foreign 
lands unburthened by duties. But I refer only to the abuses 
which have covered, the land with lordly millionaires and gamb¬ 
lers in billions of stocks, who have enriched the few at the ex¬ 
pense of the many, wrecked not only railways, but the fortunes 
of innocent and confiding stockholders, reduced families to want, 
rendered widows and orphans houseless and homeless, and cowed 
States and Legislatures into submission. 

D 


26 


I object not to honest bonds, unadulterated stock and well 
managed railways. I condemn not faithful securities, which 
afford a safe investment, and secure reliance for age and weakness, 
widowhood and ophanage. Then cheers for the great waterways 
of our land; and thanks for the bounty of the nation which 
improves them and makes them useful. 

Water, glorious water! Free as air, pure as the snowflake, 
refreshing as the dew dancing in the sunlight, and plentiful as 
the flow of Heaven. Glorious water! It stings not, it weakens 
not, it robs not, it disturbs no thought, defiles no member and 
leaves no heaviness. Then a toast for water—pure water—and 
drug not the cup with that which benumbs the brain, dims the 
eye, flushes the face and palsies the arm! 

In considering this grand improvement we must not halt here, 
great as the facts display it. There is a future before this head 
of navigation, continental in its vastness. Let the past prophesy 
the future. 

I stand before you in the vigor of age, and yet my eyes saw 
Pittsburgh when (excepting a few spurs) it was bounded by 
Smithfield street and the two rivers, when a long interval lay 
between the few straggling houses on Penn street below the rail¬ 
way buildings and the small village of Bayardstown, afterward 
the Fifth ward; and I saw Allegheny when there were not fifteen 
houses on Federal street, from the river to the high hills which 
bound the plain. The finest crop of rye I ever saw grew on a 
field of William Robinson, scarcely one hundred yards below the 
bridge. I saw Allegheny when all the land below the park was 
farm land. 

The steamboat was then as plain as the cabins of the settlers, 
all were sidewheelers, and every boat was known by its “ cough.” 
So much for sixty-five years ago. 

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. 

Now go back a century, and what do you see? This entire 
section north of the Ohio and west of the Allegheny was one vast 
wilderness, unbroken by the plough, jand uninhabited save by 
wild beasts and savages. Then an Indian war raged, and carried 


27 


its massacres far beyond the Allegheny. My old friend James 
Lyon, of Beaver, formerly of Pittsburgh, was captured when a 
boy, on Turtle creek, and the slit in his ear bore the evidence of 
his captivity and savage barbarity. Then, the ground on which 
we stand was full of danger to the white man. Fort McIntosh, 
where Beaver now lies in peaceful quiet, was built in 1778, as a 
defense against French and Indian incursions. There the treaty 
of 1785, with the Wyandots and Delawares, released to Pennsyl¬ 
vania the last vestige of Indian title not extinguished by the 
great treaty of 1784 at Fort Stanwix on the Susquehanna. Even 
after these concessions the Indian war still raged. Gen. Wayne 
wintered his army at Legionville, below Economy, in 1792-3, and 
it was not until he defeated the Indians in the battle of the Mau¬ 
mee, on the 20th of August, 1794, and the treaty of Fort Green¬ 
ville, July 30, 1795, was ratified by the Senate, December 22, 
1795, that it became safe to settle west of the Allegheny. In the 
spring of 1796, the great tidal wave of population burst over this 
border, and began settlements, under the Act of 3d April, 1792. 
Such was the country less than a century ago. 

Then, this region was the paradise of the hunter. I have seen 
deer crossing the old Harmony road, wild turkeys in the first 
valley above Federal street, pheasants and squirrels in great 
numbers on Herr’s or Troy Hill. In 1824 I hunted this hill for 
a cock pheasant for the pencil of Audubon, the great naturalist, 
whose portrait, presented to my father, was lost in the fire of 1845. 
I saw John Sheriff walk up Wood street with a bunch of 50 or 
60 squirrels, killed over Coal Hill (Mt. Washington), hung from 
the rifle on his shoulder. Wild pigeons flew in myriads over 
Boyd’s Hill and Coal Hill. Frank Byrne, son of the old 
umbrella maker on Second street, killed 96 pigeons in one morn¬ 
ing from the south face of Hogback (Seminary) Hill. Woodcocks 
were in abundance on Smoky Island, not 50 rods below Federal 
street. The rivers were then filled with fish. Perkins, the 
watchmaker; Kepner, the tin and coppersmith, and James R. 
Butler, captain of the famous Pittsburgh Blues, each often caught 
from 50 to 60 black bass in a day. 

Now, turn your eyes over the present field of view. The land- 


28 


scape smiles with peaceful homes, plenty covers the fields, and 
comfort and wealth crown a happy people. Not only have Pitts¬ 
burgh and Allegheny and their vicinity become peopled by 
hundreds of thousands of citizens, engaged in every branch of 
industry, but new States and Territories have been added, inhab¬ 
ited by millions and reaching to the far off Pacific. 

Looking over the immensity of trade swelling the Ohio and 
spreading from this spot over that vast expanse, and who can 
foretell the value of this improvement, and the impetus it will 
give to the trade which will float upon the bosom of this harbor. 

I look forward in imagination half a century, and I see a 
mighty nation of 200,000,000 of freemen; self-governed, self- 
dependent, rich in all the arts of peace, wonderful in invention, 
energetic in action, formidable in power, and great in every sci¬ 
ence, reaching to the topmost round of civilization. Wonderful 
country! Heroic people! When I view this grandeur, this 
unrivaled greatness, my heart bounds with rapture, and my fancy 
swells with the fecundity of the view. Who can estimate its 
vastness? Who can comprehend its destiny? The civilization of 
the Old World pales before its luster; and our country, basking 
in the favor of heaven, strong and united, glows in the firma¬ 
ment of nations as the sun in his noontide splendor. 

Then will this improvement, followed by innumerable works 
swelling in its train, tell the people of that day of the men of 
this who conceived and executed it in the hope of a future which 
they saw with the eye of faith, and its then reality will cover 
their memories with honor and praise. 

The chairman then introduced Col. W. E. Merrill, who was re¬ 
ceived by a tremendous burst of applause. When quiet was 
partially restored, Mr. Merrill spoke as follows: 

Mr. Chairman, and Ladies and Gentlemen : 

It is certainly a great gratification to any one who has labored 
for years at a difficult undertaking, amid doubts, discouragements 
and opposition, to have the result of his labors received with 
such unexpected enthusiasm. I feel at a loss for fitting words in 


29 


which to return thanks for the very complimentary allusions to 
myself with which I have been honored by the distinguished 
jurist whom you have so fittingly selected as the orator of the day, 
and for the cheering presence of this vast multitude that has as¬ 
sembled to do honor to the first movable dam on the Ohio river* 
Let us hope that this celebration is but the forerunner of many 
similar ones u until our beautiful river” becomes the permanent 
home of a steady and beneficient commerce, and the ancient slur 
that it is “dry all summer” fades away into oblivion. 

I will not detain you now by discussing the subject of river 
improvement, as I would be going over ground that has already 
been well trodden by the orator of the day; but there is one duty 
that I feel to be specially incumbent on me, and which can be 
delegated to no other, and that is, to see that due credit is given 
to those who have lent a hand and pulled a laboring oar in the 
long contest that has to-day culminated in the structures that are 
now before us. I wish that I could name everyone who has helped 
in this work, but the number is so great that your patience would 
be exhausted before I had ended the list; I must, therefore, 
confine myself to a few of the more prominent. 

TO WHOM THANKS ARE DUE. 

To the Ohio River Commission I owe my first thanks ; to them 
I am indebted for constant, steady and unwavering support from 
the inception of the committee, in 1872, to the present day; they 
have been a potent factor in overcoming opposition and in inspir¬ 
ing others with faith in the enterprise, and it is right that their 
names and work should be prominent. It is a lasting source of 
regret that the honored President of the Commission was called 
home before success had finally crowned our efforts. 

Special thanks are due the iron masters of Pittsburgh, whose 
efficient backing in the infancy of the enterprise was of the utmost 
value. To no one of them is the Davis Island Dam more in¬ 
debted than to Mr. Harry Oliver, whose bold and masterly tactics 
and lavish personal expenditure snatched victory from the jaws 
of defeat and gave the enterprise such a momentum that, thence¬ 
forward, it progressed to completion without let or hindrance. 


30 


The constant and efficient support of the local members of 
Congress was also a weighty factor in the long contest, and it is 
but right that their faithful and valuable help should receive 
public recognition. It was particularly fortunate that the Davis 
Island Dam had a strong and staunch friend in the Hon. Thos. M. 
Bayne, in whose district we are now standing, and who has been 
fitly chosen as the chairman of this meeting. 

The engineering staff of the dam merit the highest praise. All 
worked with zeal and efficiency, and I can give them no higher 
praise than when I say, that each man worked for the United 
States as hard as he could work for himself; some of them told 
me that they worked even harder. 

The resident engineers of the work were Captain F. A. Mahan, 
Corps of Engineers, from the beginning, in August, 1878, until 
finally ordered to a higher post in August, 1884, with the excep¬ 
tion of the season of 1881, when, on account of sickness, his 
place was temporarily taken by Lieutenant William M. Black, 
Corps of Engineers, and Mr. William Martin, civil engineer, who 
had served on the work from the beginning, and into whose 
hands the finished work is about to be committed. 

ASSISTANTS COMPLIMENTED. 

To all these gentlemen, and especially to Captain Mahan, I am 
indebted for most skillful, faithful and conscientious service. 
This fact is so well known in this community that it is unneces¬ 
sary for me to dwell on it. It can be emphatically stated that all 
the work on the Davis Island Dam is square, honest work, over 
which any Master Mason might well declare the mystic formula: 
“ It is well and truly laid.” 

That I am able to make this statement is entirely due to the 
gentlemen just named. 

I wish that I had time to dwell on the services of Harlow, the 
first assistant engineer; of Meredith and Schaffner as superintend¬ 
ents; of Kinsey, the mechanical engineer, who prepared the 
working drawings in the office at Cincinnati; of Weston, who 
calculated strain sheets and perfected the gates; of Lowe and 
Negley, in the care of the very complicated clerical department; 


31 


of I 1 ulton, the hard-worked timekeeper; and of Frost, the faith¬ 
ful watchman and the oldest man on the force; bat the record 
would be less interesting to you than to myself, and I must 
forbear. 

The time has now come for the formal act that declares the 
work completed, by raising over it that beloved flag which sym¬ 
bolizes the nationality of our country. The honor of raising this 
flag I have deputed to my eldest son; and I think you will agree 
with me that the selection is peculiarly appropriate, when I 
inform you that by a coincidence which I cannot but consider 
providential, to-day, the day which your committee has selected 
for the celebration, in his 12th birthday. I trust that he may be 
spared to a green old age to tell generations yet unborn of the 
magnificent way in which Pittsburgh celebrated the opening of 
the Davis Island Dam. [Here the flag was raised.] In the name 
of the United States, I now declare the Davis Island Lock and 
Dam to be open to navigation. Esto perpetua. 

After Colonel Merrill was through, the chairman introduced 
General J. S. Negley, who made a short address, complimentary 
to the great work. 

After General Negley, our worthy President, Hon. John F. 
Dravo, made the closing speech, by way of a valedictory, which 
was in his usual, easy, and happy manner. 

The meeting then adjourned, and preparations made to return 
to the city. 

I would be glad indeed, if I could make mention of all our 
committee who lent their willing hands, and gave their valuable 
time and assistance to make the celebration, as it was, an acknowl¬ 
edged success; yet, justice compels me, to acknowledge the valua¬ 
ble assistance rendered by Capt. John A. Wood, Hon. George H. 
Anderson, on Committee on Meeting and Speakers, and on the 
arrangements for the boats; and to Hon. Morrison Foster and 
Gilbert Follansbee, Committee on Invitations, Badges, &c.; to 
John Bindley, S. S. Marvin and John B. Jackson, Committee on 
Finance; and to Samuel Hamilton, J. G. Siebeneck and D. C. 
Herbst, Committee on Refreshments. 


32 


This, I believe, closes the business of the committee, who have 
endeavored to discharge the duties assigned them in a manner 
satisfactory to all; whether they have done so or not, you must be 
the judges. 

Individually, I return my sincere thanks for the honor con¬ 
ferred, in making me chairman of the committee, and sincerely 
hope, that I may be ever excused from another of so much 
responsibility. 

Respectfully submitted, 

CHAS. W. BATCHELOR, 

Chairman . 




33 


THE GATES AJAE. 

(From the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette.) 

To say that the celebration of yesterday, in commemoration of 
the opening of Davis Island Dam, was a “grand success” is but 
to sum up the affair in a phrase which, in this particular instance, 
is as truthful as it is trite. The day opened auspiciously and, for 
the most part, was clear and sunshiny, with a fresh October breeze 
which rendered wraps a necessity, especially on the water. The 
fleet of steamers which participated numbered about twenty- 
five in all, and the maneuvering necessary to get them into posi¬ 
tion was witnessed by many thousands of citizens from the 
Monongahela wharf, the adjacent buildings and bridges, the boats 
at the landing, and from the river-shore and hill-tops on the South 
Side. Every eligible spot was thronged with people, and when 
the fleet moved off amid the firing of cannon, the waving of flags 
and handkerchiefs, and the cheering of the spectators, the steamers 
of one accord set up such a concert of whistling as had never 
before greeted mortal ears. 

The fleet moved slowly but majestically out of the Mononga¬ 
hela into the Ohio, and all along the run of five miles to the dam 
was greeted from both shores with demonstrations of delight and 
welcome from large masses of people. The long line of neat and 
trim steamers, profusely decorated with flags, streamers, mottoes 
and signals, moving in triplets, by couples and singly, and all 
carrying large parties of distinguished citizens and invited guests, 
made up a scene of rare interest and beauty, and one which has 
never been paralleled in the history of steamboat navigation. 
There have, perhaps, been as large crowds collected on the wharf, 
as when the regiments for the Mexican war departed, and again 
when the remnants of them returned; when the shipment of guns 
South by the traitor, Secretary Floyd, was stopped, and again 
when the championship was contested for by rival oarsmen, but 
never before have the business public and the shipping interests 
been so deeply stirred or so closely united in a common cause 
and for a common object. 

E 


34 


When the fleet reached the dam, the entrance of the first 
pair of boats into the lock was the signal for the repetition of the 
deafening and discordant noises which accompanied the start. 
The only parallel to this part of the demonstration was when the 
news of Lee’s surrender reached the city, and again when the 
centennial of American independence was ushered in. There is 
still in human nature a strong inclination to indulge in noisy 
manifestations—a disposition which, though born of superstition 
and barbarism, will invariably assert itself in times of excitement. 
In this case, however, there was a terrible earnestness and deliber¬ 
ation in the piercing clangor of the bells, and the deep bellowing 
of the steam-whistles. They represented the concentrated shouts 
of a jubilant community—the expressions of joy over the suc¬ 
cessful accomplishment of a grand and noble work in the interest 
of trade and commerce. 

The scene at the dam was one of surpassing interest. Afloat 
in the lock were six large steamers, while immediately above lay 
the balance of the fleet quietly at anchor. Extending clear across 
was the sturdy wall which is to give us a navigable harbor at all 
seasons of the year. Here was a practical demonstration, under the 
eyes of twenty thousand citizens, that the plan for improving the 
Ohio was a magnificent success, and only awaited the action of 
Congress to make it as great a benefit to all the cities along its 
banks as it is destined to prove to this community. The “ experi¬ 
mental dam ” has ceased to be an experiment, and now ranks 
among the grandest objects of practical utility. 

The proceedings at the dam formed an interesting feature of 
the celebration. The speeches were excellent, and are well worth 
a careful reading. If yesterday was a proud day for Pittsburgh, 
as it unquestionably was, those who have labored incessantly for 
the past ten or twelve years to make such a day possible, as well 
as those who have devoted their energies and skill to the consum¬ 
mation of the work, may well feel proud in the consciousness of a 
gigantic task .most admirably performed. 


35 


A BRIEF HISTORY FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 

The Chamber of Commerce took a most lively interest in the 
construction of the Davis Island Dam, as the minutes of its 
proceedings show. 

The first reference to this important work was at a meeting 
held December 6th, 1875 ; between that date and September 4th, 
1882, the subject received the careful attention of the Board of 
Directors no less than forty-six different times. 

It would be out of place to refer to every minute made on its 
records, and yet it will be of interest to the friends of that 
great public improvement, as well as to the members of the 
Chamber, to review, however briefly, this part of the great 
harbor’s history. 

On December 11th, 1876, our late President, Gen. Moorhead, 
was appointed a committee to draft “ a suitable bill for presenta¬ 
tion to the Legislature, to pass a law ceding a certain plat of 
ground to the United States government, necessary for the 
erection of a dam, at or near Brunot’s island.” 

The bill having been prepared, together with a memorial to 
the Legislature, on January 8th, 1877, copies of the same were 
sent to the Hon. J. C. Newmeyer and the Hon. H. M. Long. 

The bill having failed to pass, a further effort was made, and 
on February 17th, 1877, a committee consisting of Messrs. H. W. 
Oliver, Jr., G. W. Hailman and J. T. Stockdale, was appointed 
to prepare a memorial urging the passage of a bill granting the 
desired privilege. 

A few days later, Messrs. Geo. A. Q. Miller and H. W. 
Oliver, Jr., were appointed a committee to visit Harrisburg in 
the “ interest of the Harbor Improvement.” Captain Jehu 
P. Smith and Mr. C. Meyran were afterwards added to the same 
committee. 

The necessary legislation having been obtained, work was com¬ 
menced, and in 1881, several members of Congress visited Pitts- 


36 


burgh in order to inspect the work. They were received by 
committees from the Chamber of Commerce, the Coal Exchange, 
and from a meeting of the citizens. 

Although Congress had done much toward erecting the dam, 
there was constant danger that our interests would be overlooked 
by that important body, and in November, 1881, the Chamber 
sent a committee composed of Messrs. John F. Dravo, George A. 
Kelly, Henry W. Oliver, Jr., John H. Ricketson and the Hon. 
Jas. H. Hopkins, to urge upon Congress a liberal appropriation. 

Again, in May, 1882, when it became known that Congress 
had inserted in its bill but $50,000 for the Davis Island Dam, 
Messrs. Dravo, Ricketson and Kelly were named to visit Wash¬ 
ington and urge upon the Committee on Commerce the importance 
of increasing the appropriation ; happily the Senate had “ conceded 
all that the Chamber desired,” and no farther action at that time 
seemed necessary. 

This improvement had gained the attention and enlisted the in¬ 
terest of Congress to such a degree that no further action on the 
part of the Chamber seemed necessary, and the finished work 
proves the wisdom of all that was done to give Pittsburgh a 
stage of water navigable at all seasons. 


HISTORY. 

(Extract from an article by Lewis M. Haupt, Esq., read before the Engineers’ Club of 
Philadelphia.) 

“ Under this head I can merely outline, in the most general man¬ 
ner, the steps taken to apply the system as now used in France to 
American rivers. 

Prior to August, 1874, Col. Wm. E. Merrill, United States 
Engineer, was in charge of the improvement of the rivers of the 
Ohio basin, and to him more than to any other person is due the 
credit of examining, testing and applying this system. He has 
reviewed the subject completely, translating all the available for¬ 
eign literature relating to it, and has made numerous special reports 
and recommendations thereon, both separately and in connection 



37 


with other officers. As early as April 16th, 1872, the then Chief 
of Engineers, General A. A. Humphreys, issued a Special Order 
No. 44, constituting Gen. G. Weitzel and Col. Wm. E. Merrill a 
Board “ to examine and report upon the plan of Mr. F. R. 
Brunot for movable hydraulic gates for chutes and locks, its ap¬ 
plicability to the improvement of the Ohio and other rivers, and 
an estimate of the cost of construction.” To this duty was 
subsequently (May 1st, 1872) added the general consideration of 
the whole subject of hydraulic gates. A preliminary report was 
made]January 14th, 1873, recommending an appropriation of 
$40,000 to make a test on the Monongahela, but without reference 
to any particular plan. A full report of all the then known de¬ 
vices was made on January 31st, 1874, in which the members of 
the Board say “they are now prepared to submit a plan which 
they feel confident will fully meet the necessities of the case.” 
What this plan was is best given in Col. MerrilPs Report, N. 1 
of September 1st, 1874,* where he says: “ After long study I 
have come to the conclusion that the best method of improving 
the Ohio, at least in the upper part of its course, is to follow the 
plans that have been so successful on the Seine, Tonne, Marne, 
Meuse and other French rivers. The system that meets with 
most favor in France is that known from its inventor as the 
Chauoine.” Before proceeding to describe this system it will be 
necessary to state in this connection that, pending the efforts of 
Col. Merrill to remove the legal obstructions to the erection of 
movable dams on the Ohio, several such dams were begun on the 
Great Kanawha by Col. Wm. P. Craighill, who was placed in 
charge of the improvements of that and other rivers in August, 
1874. 

THE DAVIS ISLAND DAM ON THE OHIO. 

It having been finally decided to test the method on the Ohio, 
authority was given to begin work at the site of Davis Island, 5J 
miles below Pittsburgh, on July 24th, 1878, and in conformity 
therewith work was commenced on the 19th of August following. 
After numerous modifications the following dimensions were 

* Report of Chief of Engineers, 1874, p. 460. 


38 


adopted as being those best adapted to fulfill the requirements of 
an extensive commerce: 


Dimensions of lock chamber, in the clear, . . 600x110 ft. 

Length of navigable pass (sill on river bed), . . . 559 “ 

“ “ weir No. 1 (sill 1 ft. above river bed), . . 224 “ 

“ “ “ No. 2 ( “ 2 ft. “ “ “ ), . •. 224 “ 

a “ “ No. 3 ( “ 3 ft. “ “ “ ), . . 216 " 

Total length on main channel, .... 1223 “ 

“ “ with piers, ..... 1260 “ 

Permanent dam across back channel, .... 456 “ 

Number of wickets (12' 1J" x 3' 9") in navigable pass, . 139 

u “ “ (11' 1J" x 3' 9") on weir No. 1, . . 56 

“ « “ (10' li" x 3' 9") a “ No. 2, . . 56 

“ “ “ ( 9' 1J" x 3' 9") “ “ No. 3, . . 54 

Total number of wickets, etc., .... 305 

Additional wickets required for use in the lock, . 27 


The wickets are spaced 4 feet apart between centers, leaving 3 
inches clearance. The first wicket was erected in the presence of 
the Ohio Liver Commission, September 27th, 1881. The last of 
the pass wickets was put in October 29th, at 10 A. M. In the 
official report of the year ending July 1st, 1883, Col. Merrill says 
the weirs 1, 2 and 3 are completed, including the erection of a 
service bridge, from which the wickets of these weirs are to be 
handled* 

At my last visit to this work I met Col. Merrill at the lock, 
and through his courtesy I was enabled to examine the details of 
the work and the drawings. I found there were 4 feet of water on 
the sill of the dam, which was down, and that large “ tows’' had 
no difficulty in stemming the current, which at that place was 
quite rapid. The improvement is almost completed, as there 
only remains to be put in place the lock gates, with the turbines 
and other machinery for operating them, which it is expected will 
be done next spring. 

The cost of the work it is difficult to obtain. 



39 


The estimate of the engineer in charge for 1879 
The same amount was asked for the year 1880, 

For 1881,. 

For 1882, . .. 

The reported expenditures for 1883 were, . 


$200,000 

200,000 

200,000 

200,000 

208,594 


The detailed estimate to complete the work, 1884—85, is 110,400 

$1,119,000 

The amount of the unexpended balances is not known.” 


MOVABLE DAMS. 


(From an article prepared by Col. Wm. E. Merrill.) 

“ The attention of American engineers was first called to the 
subject of movable dams by the publication of a report, dated Jan¬ 
uary 31st, 1874, of a Board of Engineer Officers, consisting of 
Gen. G. Weitzel and Col. W. E. Merrill, on the subject of movable 
hydraulic gates. To this was added a second report, dated Nov. 
24th, 1874, containing additional information, and both reports 
were subsequently printed for general distribution, as Executive 
Document No. 78, H. of R., 43d Congress, 2d Session. 

The actual construction of a movable dam on an American 
river, was first recommended by Col. Wm. E. Merrill, Corps of En¬ 
gineers, in his Annual Report, dated Sept. 1st, 1874. In accord¬ 
ance with this recommendation, Congress, at its next session, ap¬ 
propriated $300,000 for the improvement of the Ohio river, and 
provided “ that $100,000 of this amount shall be used for and ap¬ 
plied towards the construction of a‘ movable dam/ or a dam with 
adjustable gates, for the purpose of testing substantially the best 
method of improving permanently the navigation of the Ohio 
river and its tributaries.” This allotment was contained in the 
River and Harbor Act of March 3d, 1875. 

A Board of Engineers, consisting of Generals Wright, Weitzel 
and Poe, and Colonel Merrill, was appointed to select a site for 
the proposed movable dam, and in their report, dated April 19th, 
1875, they selected the site at Davis Island. 





40 


The work of construction was kept back by the difficulty of 
getting through the Legislature of the State of Pennsylvania, a 
cession of jurisdiction to the land required for the lock and dam. 

In anticipation of the construction on the Ohio river of dams 
of some kind, efforts had been made as early as 1873 to secure 
from the State of Pennsylvania a general cession of jurisdiction 
over land required for such purposes, mid a bill granting the 
necessary cession passed both Houses of the State Legislature, 
during the session of 1873-4, but it was vetoed by the Governor 
on technical grounds. During the session of 1874-5 a new bill, 
prepared to meet the objections of the Governor, passed one 
House, but was mislaid in the other, and failed to become a law. 

In the session of 1875-6 another effort was made to obtain 
cession of jurisdiction from Pennsylvania, but this time the 
failure was due to the opposition of the coal shippers of Pitts¬ 
burgh, who had become hostile to the proposed movable dam. A 
bill granting the required cession of jurisdiction, and authorizing 
the condemnation of the necessary land, was finally passed on the 
17th of March, 1877. 

A little more than a year was consumed in the legal delays in¬ 
cident to obtaining possession of the required tracts of land, and 
thus work was not begun on the Davis Island Dam until August 
19th, 1878. Various causes of delay, such as are incident to all 
government work, have since intervened from time to time, so 
that the work is not yet finished; but it will certainly be com¬ 
pleted in 1885. 

In the latter part of 1877 the Engineer in charge submitted 
plans for changing the interior dimensions of the lock from 630 
by 78 feet, to 600 by 110 feet, substituting single rolling gates 
for the customary pair of mitre gates. A Board of Engineers 
having reported favorably, the change was approved on February 
9th, 1878, by the Secretary of War. 

On the 9th of August, 1880, the Engineer in charge suggested 
that a Board of Engineers be appointed, to consider additional 
inodifications in the Davis Island Dam. This Board consisted of 
Col. Craighill, Gen. Weitzel,Col. Merrill, and Lieutenants Turtle 
and Mahan. Col. Merrill called the attention of the Board to the 


41 


Pasqueau hurter, and recommended that it be used on the Davis 
Island Dam instead of the tripper ; he also recommended that 
the dam be so built as to permit experiments with a straddling 
traveller, with a view to the ultimate suppression of the foot¬ 
bridge. The Board reported favorably, and recommended that 
experiments with the Pasqueau liurter should meanwhile be tried 
on the Kanawha dams, which were then finished. The views of 
the Board were concurred in by the Chief of Engineers, and the 
use of the Pasqueau hurter was formally authorized by the Chief 
of Engineers, under date of March 25th, 1881. A. contract for 
iron work for the navigable pass of the Davis Island Dam was 
signed on the 24th of May, 1881, and in this contract were 141 
cast iron Pasqueau hurters. 

During the summer of 1884 the Davis Island Dam was up for 
five weeks, and its effect on the harbor of Pittsburgh was so 
satisfactory, that after it had been lowered on account of a rise, 
several urgent appeals were made by coal shippers to have it 
raised again, in order to bring their barges out of the pools of the 
Monongahela. As compliance with this request w^ould have 
necessitated the closure of the lock by a temporary coffer dam, 
and for other reasons, the Engineer in charge was very unwilling 
to accede to their wishes, but the pressure became so great, 
that he finally telegraphed an order for the raising of the dam. 
Fortunately an opportune rise in the river made it unnecessary to 
obey the order. 

The total expenditures on the Davis Island Dam to the close 
of 1884, have been as follows: 


Years. 

1875, . 

1877, . 

1878, . 

1879, . 

1880, . 

1881 . 

Expenditures. 

.$ 154 75 

. 324 74 

. 105,675 17 

. 211,340 89 

. 82,217 16 

. 179,813 70 

1882, . 

. 155,458 11 

1883, . 

. 93,631 30 

i . 

. 29,637 02 

Total, . 

.$858,252 85 


The total cost of the dam will be less than $900,000.” 


F 













42 


Note. —Under date of Cincinnati, December 14th, 1885, Col. 
Merrill says: “All the plans were prepared in this office, by 
myself and my assistants.” 


As a practical illustration of the importance of the river inter¬ 
ests, the following is given from the Pittsburgh Times: 

The “ O’Neil’s” Great Feat. 

“ The O’Neil proved a success from the outset. In her first 
season she took a tow of thirty-eight pieces from Louisville to 
New Orleans, landed it, hitched to twenty-eight empties and had 
them back at Louisville in twenty-nine days from the time of 
starting. 

E. W. McDonald, City Coal Gauger at New Orleans, furnishes 
the following figures of her cargo: Her tow consisted of 27 
canal boats, 6 barges, 1 French creek and 4 small barges, carrying 
26,700 tons, or 700,294 bushels of coal. The tow was 710 feet 
long and 238 feet wide, covering a space in the river of 5 acres, 
and carrying as much coal as could be mined from 7 acres of the 
Pittsburgh vein. Supposing a locomotive to haul 25 cars in a 
train, and each car to contain 300 bushels, it would take 89 loco¬ 
motives and 2,225 cars to haul the O’Neil’s cargo, making a 
continuous procession of trains about ten miles long. 

This is the first formal race ever made between towboats, and 
the magnitude of the contest and the importance of the question 
to be settled, make it the great river event of this decade.” 





























